CENTRAL AREA

Si queremos regresar de golpe al siglo XXI, nuestro destino es el Parque Eólico de Guerinda, uno de los más grandes de Europa. ¡Qué diría Don Quijote! Los más avanzados aereogeneradores, tan altos como edificios de dieciocho plantas, se funden con una espectacular panorámica de los Pirineos. Navarra es la tercera potencia europea en creación de esta energía renovable después de Alemania y Dinamarca, y este parque es buena prueba de ello. Para llegar a ellos, debemos deshacer los kilómetros que nos separan de la carretera de San Martín de Unx e ir dirección Lerga y desviarnos luego hacia Olleta.

Olite
Visiting Olite is like returning to the past. The Middle Ages are present in its streets, palaces and corners. The Castle, unmoved, dominates the town, watching over the inhabitants. Olite, once a Royal city, has also many famous vineyards and good quality wines

The Castle – Palace of Olite is one of the most representative and most loved monuments in Navarre. It was built on Roman walls, and construction began during the 13th and 14 centuries, although it was during the 15C, under the orders of Carlos III of Navarre that the work really developed. They were the years of splendour. Its decline began when Navarre joined the Crown of Castile, and there were no longer any kings of Navarre to reside there. Two fires and an act of plundering left it unrecognisable. It was made a national monument in 1925, and has recently been restored. The old palace is today a state Parador and it still preserves some towers such as the tower of San Jorge, Las Cigüeñas (storks) and the Prison Tower. The new castle, with its fifteen completely different towers cannot help but attract your attention. The most important towers are the Torre del Homenaje, Atalaya, Tres Coronas and Cuatro Vientos and the circular watchtower. There is no doubt that it was a luxurious castle: with delicate plasterwork, tiles, polychromatic stained glass windows, golden marquetry ceilings and fountains. Amongst the curious outbuildings at the palace (lion cage, dovecote, baths (in those times!), we would point out a peculiar type of refrigerator: a stone egg-shaped construction used to store ice.

At Olite, there is also the Gothic church of Santa María, with some beautiful cloisters, a lovely portal and the retable above the high altar was painted by Pedro de Aponte. The Church of San Pedro is another work of art. It is a harmonious mixture of different styles: a Gothic tower with an impressive octagonal spire and Romanesque portal and cloisters. Inside there is a beautiful retable and the chapel of the Virgen of Campanal holds a precious Gothic sculpture. We cannot forget to mention the convents of San Francisco and the Clarisas, both with Rococo retables, whilst, in the Carlos III Square there is the Clock Tower and some medieval underground galleries.

Ujué
Ujué appears to be the result of an artist’s delirium, in a desire to create an imaginary, fairy-tale village: its narrow streets, sliding down the slopes of the hill, full of ramps and stairways, its houses, each forgotten corner,.. will all take your breath away. And, if you still haven’t had enough, take a look in any direction from Ujué and you won’t be disappointed. Down below, you will see the piedmont of Tafalla and Olite, the Ribera, the Moncayo and the Pyrenees, with peaks such as the Anie or the Mesa de los Tres Reyes.

visit Ujué, we would advise you to leave your vehicle at the entrance to the village or in the sanctuary square, since cars cannot go into the town centre.

Ujué developed as a fortified town to defend Navarre first against the Muslims and later against Aragon. The Romanesque church of Santa María is located at the highest point of the village. Its size and simplicity are overwhelming. It was built on the remains of a pre-Romanesque church in the 11 and 12C, but it was king Carlos II the Bad who undertook the majority of its construction. He built the Gothic nave, a beautiful sentry corridor and small turrets. Its interior houses the beautiful image of Santa María with Child, a wonderful example of Romanesque sculpture in Navarre, silver plated and dating from the 12C. Carlos II so loved this place that, before his death, he requested that his heart be laid to rest here. And it is preserved in a chest in this church still today.
Ujué is the scene of one of the most emotive Romería processions or pilgrimage in Navarre. It is held on the Sunday following the 25th April, day of San Marcos, and it is in honour of the Virgin Mary. Pilgrims wear tunics, bear crosses, and some even go barefoot and with chains. They meet by the Saludo Cross and from there, go to the sanctuary to pray to the Virgin.

One word of advice: don’t leave Ujué without first trying the famous sugar-coated almonds, Migas de Pastor or shepherd’s breadcrumbs and lamb chops cooked on a vine wood grill.